Apparatus for measuring and weighing grain



(M.ode1.)

. F. O. MASON.

APPARATUS FOR MEASURING AND WEIGHING GRAIN.

No. 272,729. Patented Feb. 20,1888- WITNESSES INVENTOR Wow/62.4%

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FREEMAN o. MASON, OF RANSOM, MICHIGAN.

APPARATUS FOR MEASURING AND WElGHlNG GRAIN.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 272,729, dated February 20, 1883.

Application filed November 6, 1882. (Model) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREEMAN G. MASON, of Ransom,in the county ot'Hillsdale and State of Michigan, have invented anew and Improved Apparatusl'or ll'leasuring and Weighing Grain and other hlaterials, of which the following is a full, clear. and exact description.

The object o my invention is to provide for accurately weighing and measuring grain as delivered from lhrashirig-machines. The upparatus which lemploy is also adapted for use with flour, meal, seeds, or any other material which will flow freely in a stream, so that it can be weighed or measured.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a side elevation oi my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is another side view, showingtheregisteiingmechanism. Fig.3isavertical se'ction 0n line 0000, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail view, showing a portion of the interior of the box.

A is a fixed standard or support rising from the floor, or it may represent'a wall, to which the apparatus is attached.

B is an oscillating box, open at its top, bottom, and at one side, and hung at about its mid-length, by pivot-arms a a, to the support A.

. At its open side, next the support A, the edges of the box are cut away or beveled, as shown at b, so as to give space for a rocking movement of the box upon the pivots a. The sides of the box, at its lower end, lap the sides of an inclined board or portion, 0, of the support A, and at its upper end the sides of the box are grooved to [it on each side tongues d (I, that project from the support A, this construction insuring closure of the sides of the box in any position to which it may be moved. At its upper end the box is titted with an int-lined board. 0, the lower edge of which, closing against the support A, acts as a valve, and also serves to form a small compartment in the upper part of the box, the post. A serving as one side of the compartment. The lace ot' the support A is fitted with a line of bristles, 0, against which the lower edge of the inclined board 6 comes in contact. This is used with grain to insure tight closing in case any of the grain is caught at the lower edge of the board, the kernels in that case being pressed into the bristles; but with seeds or fine material these bristles will not be required.

ff are arms attached upon the box B, provided with weights {7, adjustable on the arms by means of screws. The armsfare bent in the direction to support the weights at or near a line drawn vertically through the pivots a, and so as to close the lower edge of the box against the support A, and by adjustment of the weights the leverage is varied, so that more or less material will be required in the box to overcome the. weight. At one side of the box, in a suitable support, is a ratchet-wheel, II, that is engaged by a pawl, t, hung on the side of the box B, and upon the shaft 11 of the wheekis a worm, 7;, which engages the wheel I. This wheel I is upon a fixed stud carrying a pointer, 1n, and the face of the wheel is to be marked with numbers, so that the pointer shall indicate the movement. Each division or space upon the wheel is to show the movement of the ratchet-wheel h the length of one tooth by the rocking movement of the box B. Above the box is titted a hopper, p, having an outlet for discharging the material into the box; but a. spout or other suitable device may be used in place of the hopper.

in operation, the hopper 1) being supplied with grain or other material, the material runs into the upper part of the box B, and is re tained by the board or valve 0 until the weight of theaccumulated material is sufficientto overcome the weights 1 and rock the box B on its pivots a. This movement, by carrying the valve 0 away lroin the support A. allows the grain to pass to the lower part of the box, and at the same time, the lower edges of the box closing against the incline c, the material is caught and retained. The box is held in this position by the weight, which by the movement above described has been carried to the opposite side of the pivot-center of the box, and is thus held until sufficient grain accumulates to overcome the weights, when the box is again rocked and moved back to its first position, the grain being thereby finally discharged. These alternate movements of the box, acting through the pawl and ratchetwheel, cause rotation of the index-wheel Z, and,

eaeraee the amount or weight of the grain at each discharge being a uniform and known quantity, the total amount of grain or other material passing through the machine can readily be determined. The inclined board 0 is provided with guides 0", which conduct the falling grain to the center at the bottom, so that it is caused to fall and accumulate evenly.

I do not limit myself to the details of construction exactly as shown and described, as they may be varied within the scope of my invention. In place of using bristles, rubber or other soft material may be used for the upper valve. The apparatus maybe used for measuring grain from thrashing-machines or elevators, and otherwise for grain and other materials.

Having thus desciibed my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The automatic grain weighing or measuring apparatus consisting of a weighted receptacle hung on pivots, and provided with a partition board or valve forming anupper compartment, in which the grain is first received, and from which it is discharged to the lower compartment, that is closed by the oscillating movement of the box, caused by the weight of the grain, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a grain-weighing apparatus, the pivoted box 13, the board or valve 0, the inclined board 0, and weighted arms f, combined with the support A, substantially as shown and described, t'or operation as set forth.

3. In a grain \veigher or ineasurer, the inclined bottom a and the two sides thereof, arranged on a pivoted support, in combination with the tixed standard A, and a weighted arm adapted to hold said parts to the standard by a certain pressure, whereby said 'parts will separate from the standard and allow the grain to escape at the bottom of said incline e as soon as the weight of the grain exceeds said pressare.

a. The combination,with the pivoted box B, open at the bottom, as well as at one side, and the fiXetl standard A, of the inclined board 0, having the sides 0", whereby there may be formed a grain holding receptacle which separates at the bottom to discharge the weighed or measured grain.

5. In grain-weighing apparatus, the tongues d, in combination with the grooved box B and support A, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

FREEMAN G. MASON.

\Vitnesses:

UnmN M. BARBIE, ISAAC UXVJQN. 

